Refitting

When Should You Book a Re-fit?

After doing thousands of fittings over the decades, we’ve learned that a fit is an evolving thing. Riders often have the misconception that their optimal cycling position is set in stone once they have had a full Biodynamic Fitting. However, any major changes you make, either to the body or to the bike, may make a re-fit necessary. Many elements will conspire to change the interaction of the body and the bike. Some of these elements are physiologic in nature and others are simply mechanical.

Mechanical changes

Shoes Different brands and models will vary in the thickness of the sole. This will change the seat height and foot/pedal relationship. At the least, you should do a cleat/pedaling mechanics session.

Pedals Obviously a totally different pedal system will require a cleat fitting, including a look at seat height. Just changing one model of Shimano SL type pedal for another, (105 upgrading to Dura Ace for example) will not require any attention. Upgrading from older Look pedals to Look Keo will require a cleat fitting.

Crankset The crank length is a critical driver for knee/hip range of motion. If you change the crank length there will be a noticeable change in knee and hip function. Stance width or Q factor which varies from 140mm to 160mm and can be a critical fitting element for some people, particularly those with a shorter leg length.

Saddle Unless you are replacing your old saddle with exactly the same model there will be fore aft, angle and height issues to address. There can be as much as 2cm variation in saddle thickness, (rail to top). You will need to adjust the seat post height to maintain your actual saddle height. The saddle fore aft position will change if the shape of the new saddles wider or narrower in platform as you settle in at a new spot. Saddles do not always age gracefully, and we do see discomfort issues related to the collapse of the plastic base and compression of the foam, causing saddle that once were comfy to become a new and less friendly shape.

HandlebarThere are many shapes of handlebars and the proper selection can have a major impact on horizontal reach and vertical drop. Assuming that the width is correct, (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46cm) the effective reach can vary by 2cm and the drop by a similar amount. This can have the same effect as a 2cm stem length change!

Brake/shift lever brand/model For example when Shimano went from 9x to 10x the lever body changed and added nearly a full centimeter to the effective reach, causing many of us to shorten the stem or handlebar by 1cm!

New Bike – Of course a completely new ride is a great time to review the fitting situation. Ideally, you should have done the re-fit before your purchase. If you haven’t done so, you should bring the new bike in and we can make the necessary adjustments.

Physical changes

Physical changes will also require a new look at the bike fit parameters.

French cyclist Robert Marchand, aged 105, cycles to set a record for distance cycled in one hour, at the velodrome of Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, outside Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Frenchman set a world record in the 105-plus age category — created especially for the tireless veteran — by riding 22.547 kilometers in one hour. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Age Apparently there are some among us who are actually getting older each year! The body changes slowly and after a while these changes can require some accommodation in the way you fit the bike. In our experience the aging cyclist will typically lose a bit of upper body height, flexibility and strength and the fit will require a more relaxed body angle and slight abbreviation in reach. The saddle position tends to stay the same as the lower body dimensions shift less over time.

Loss or gain of body weight As the body gains weight there is generally a loss of flexibility and the reach to the handlebar often needs to be shortened a bit and sometimes raised to afford a comfortable position on the bike. Conversely the loss of weight will often allow a lower and longer position on the bike. These adjustments are usually moderate but are of course scaled to amount of weight change.

Increase or decrease in strength This will affect the ideal body angle that you can support. Generally the stronger you are the lower your torso angle can be and still feel comfortable. If you have an extended period of inactivity there can be a considerable loss of strength specific to cycling posture. One interesting example is the gain in strength and flexibility from participation on other sports. A great season of cross country skiing will shift the strength to different muscle groups which can affect knee tracking.

Increase or decrease in flexibility We have seen some remarkable improvements in cyclists who are proactive in stretching and strengthening using Yoga, Pilates and general training programs.

Injuries Almost any significant injury to the musculo-skeletal system can change the muscle tension balance, and thus shift your posture on and off the bike. This would include torn rotator cuff, sprained ankles and broken bones of almost any type.

Fee schedule

Fit check/refit $90 per hour.

Cleat/pedaling mechanics fitting $60

Typically a fit check will run 45 minutes to an hour and a half. We can often give you a pretty good idea of the time and cost as we interview you for a fitting appointment.

Important: You must have had a complete Biodynamic Fitting at Cronometro to take advantage of the refitting.